Abundant praise

This time of year often is seen as a time of abundance: An abundance of lights and yard displays, an abundance of delicious, fattening treats, an abundance of traffic, which typically leads to an abundance of short tempers and frazzled nerves over the lack of abundant parking spaces at our favorite stores and restaurants.

However, there’s also an abundance of good cheer and well wishes during this special time of year and our appreciation is extended to those who make our lives happier and safer.

For 35 years, Sherry Barnard and The Dance Center of Elizabethtown have mesmerized audiences with their production of the classic ballet, “The Nutcracker.” This Christmas tradition is a unique and spectacular gift to our community. It’s a family event that takes place thanks to the dozens of hard-working volunteers, staff and more than 100 performers who bring it to life each December. It’s a showcase of performers with various backgrounds and abilities, along with exquisite costumes, scenery and music. Thanks go to Barnard for her commitment and dedication not only to our community, but to her craft and the arts.

Service should be Kenneth Hayden’s middle name. How else would you describe someone who has dedicated 47 years of his life to the advocacy of farming, health and education? In addition to serving on the Hardin County School Board, Hayden has devoted himself to agriculture and the Kentucky Farm Bureau. He has served on various committees, been a mentor and advocate and attended more than 40 KFB state conventions. His contributions have earned him the Kentucky Farm Bureau Award for Distinguished Service and the Kentucky Farm Bureau could not have made a better choice. Hayden has exhibited true loyalty, leadership and passion for Hardin County and the noble field of agriculture.

Christmas is a time for wishes and dreams. Many children wish for a pony or puppy from Santa or perhaps a shiny new bike or the newest gaming system. Most of us don’t wish for a trip around the world to shake the hands of heroes. But for cancer survivor and Belgian citizen Antoine Brisbois, his wish was to be a U.S. Army soldier for a day. What seemed far-fetched became a reality for Brisbois, thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Col. Ed Box of the United States Army Recruiting Command. Brisbois spent the day at Fort Knox, living the life of a soldier, immersed in camouflage, high-tech weaponry and the camaraderie of troops. He lived his dream thanks to the compassion and kindness of people who don’t even speak his language or know his hardships but know that every child deserves to see their dreams fulfilled.

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over is more than a slogan in our region. Kudos to the law enforcement officers in our area who work diligently to keep impaired drivers off the roads. Recently, local officers were recognized and thanked for their efforts to keep the roads safe. Kentucky State Trooper Jerry Clanton from Post 4 in Elizabethtown received second place in the commonwealth in the 2012 Governor’s Impaired Driving Enforcement Award issued by the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety. He was joined by West Point Police Officer Jacob Duke, who brought home the top award for police departments of 10 or less officers. Nominations for this prestigious award come from local law enforcement agencies and several officers were nominated from Hardin, LaRue and Meade counties. We are blessed to live in communities where our officers take the oath to protect and serve so seriously and they work tirelessly to keep dangerous drivers out of our paths.